Water-heater



A. BELER..

WATER HEATER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.25, 1-919.

1,356,122. Patented 601;. 19,1920.

wrmzs sss INVENTOR UNITED STATES ADOLF BELER, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

WATER-HEATER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 19, 1920.

Application filed August 25, 1919. Serial No. 319,587.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ADOLF BELER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in VVater-Heaters, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in water heaters, and more particularly to an improved thermostat structure designed for use in such heaters.

Thermostats of the type to which my invention relates, as heretofore constructed, have included an outer casing. designed to be expanded and contracted by the variations of temperature of the water passing through the thermostat chamber, and a rod or tube of porcelain disposed within the chamber and connected with the outer casing. While a'porcelainrodhas a coefficient of expansion considerably less than the outer brass, copper or bronze casing to which it is attached, such rods do, however, have considerable expansivequalities. Thus, for example, a porcelain rod of the character' usually employed will expand twenty points in a'temperature of 140 F., and such rods are further objectionable due to the frequent breaking of the rods.

The prime object of the present invention is to provide a thermostat of the character referred to having a thermostat element possessing such a very small coeflicient of expansion-that it will be unaffected by the rise and fall of the temperature of the water passing through the thermostat chamber and of such a character that the liability of being broken either during transportation or while in use is reduced to a minimum.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an application of myinvention,

Figure 1 is a part sectional view and a part elerational view of a portion of a water heater embodying my invention;

1 Fig. 2, a part elevational and a part vertical sectionalview of the thermostat structure; and i Fig. 3, a horizontal sectional view taken 1 on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

The present invention is embodied in a water heater construction shown and described in a companion application filed March 6, 1917, SerialNo. 152,599; but it will be understood that .my improved thermostat structure may be employed in connection with water heaters of different conby a casing 3 and a head 4, and with which chamber, the intake pipe communicates. A water outlet pipe 5 leads from the chamber 2 to the coil of the heater. Mounted within the chamber 2 intermediate the inlet and outlet is piston 6 having a flexible head or packing 7, preferably made of felt and adapted to provide a tight seal between the piston and the cylindrical wall of the casing, and at the same time to yield to the movement of the piston sufliciently to prevent a sticking thereof in the casing. The piston head 7 is held between a shoulder on the body of the piston and a threaded gland 8. The body 6 of the piston is of hollow cylindrical form, constitutes a sliding sleeve valve, and is mounted to slide on the hollow cylindrical body 9 fixed in the casing, and interrupting the flow line. Such sleeve portion of the piston constitutes the valve adapted to control the inlet ports 10, formed in the body 9. The forward portion of the passage body 9 is provided with an abutment head 10 adapted to limit the forward movement of the combined piston and valve member. The piston is adapted to receive the pressure of the water coming through the inlet 1 into the chamber 2 and to be forced backward by said pressure to uncover the ports 10 to permit the water to enter the 7 water passage body 9. Y

The inner portion of the sleeve 9, not shown, is slotted longitudinally to provide ports to permit the passage of water to the outlet 5. 11 designates a gas valve casing, and 12 and 13 gas inlet and outlet pipes communicating with the interiorof the casing. Alined stems 14 and 15 are employed in the mechanism for moving a gas valve in casing 11. 16 is a spiral spring surrounding the sleeve 9 and bearing against the piston 5.

All of the parts above described are set forth in the companion application referred to and constitute no part ofthe present invention.

The inner end of the sleeve 9 is open and this passage is controlled by a valve 17, the latter being adapted to be held to its seat and returned thereto by a spring 18 interposed between the valve and the head 4 of the casing.

Casing 3 is provided with a nozzle-like.

projection 19 having an apertured diaphragm 20 and an internally threaded upper portion 21. Located above and in line with nozzle 19 is an outlet union 22, said union being adapted to be connected with a service pi e, not shown.

he thermostat structure as illustrated and as preferred, and which in the present application of my invention is designed to be mounted on nozzle 19 and connect said nozzle with the outlet union 22, includes an outer hollow casing or tube 23 having its lower end threaded at 24 to engage the in.- ternally threaded portion 21 and its upper end 25 threaded to engage the union. This casing 23, which may be made of any suitable material, forms the thermostat chamber 26, and disposed within said chamber is a composite thermostat element including a casing 27, and two rods or members 28 and 29.

Member 28 at its upper end is provided with a threaded plug 30 adapted to be entered in a threaded opening formed in the outlet union 22. The lower end of member 28 is rigidly connected with casing 27 by means of a rivet 31. The other rod or member 29 at its upper end is rigidly connected to the casing 27 by suitable means, as a rivet 32, and said rod 29 at its lower end is provided with an enlargement or a depending stem element 33, said latter element being entered in an opening in the diaphragm 20 of nozzle 19. Element 33 has a reduced portion 34 and a head 35.

The thermostat element, located within the thermostat chamber and designed to be moved by the expansion'and contraction of the casing 23, constitutes an important and characteristic feature of the present invention. This element is made up of members, preferably metallic members, having a high coefficient of expansion and a very small coeflicient of expansion. Thus, for example, members 28 and 29 are made of nickel, steel or other material having a very small coefficient of expansion and the casing 27 is made of copper, brass, etc., having a high coefficient of ex ansion. Or the casing 27 may be made 0 a material having a high coefiicient and the inclosed connected rods of a low coefiicient of expansion.

By employing these different materials and arranging and securing the members together as shown and described, it will be understood that I proiu'de a strong. durable, eflicient and practically non-expansible thermostat element capable of functioning more accurately than members heretofore employed.

As illustrated. 36 designates a lever designed to connect valve 17 and the head of element 33, thus moving said lever to effect an opening of valve 17 upon the expansion of casing 23.

I do not desire, however, to limit my in vention to the combination of parts described and shown, for it is evident that the thermostat structure may be employed in combination with different parts and in connection with other types of heaters than that shown herein.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a water heater, of a thermostat structure therefor including an outer expansible casing forming a thermostat chamber, a' thermostat element in the chamber, said element including a casing and a plurality of members inclosed by the casing and secured thereto at opposite ends, said inclosed members and their casing having different coeflicients of expansion.

2. The combination with a water heater, of a thermostat structure therefor including an outer expansible casing forming a thermostat chamber, a thermostat element in the chamber, said element including a casing and a plurality of members inclosed by the casing and secured thereto at opposite ends, said inclosed members having a small coefficient of expansion and their casing a high coefiicient of expansion.

3. The combination with a water heater, of a thermostat structure therefor including an outer expansible casing forming a thermostat chamber. a thermostat element in the chamber, said element including a casing and a plurality of members inclosed by the casing and secured thereto at opposite ends, one of said members having an engaging enlargement at its upper end, and one member having an enlargement at its lower end.

4. The combination with a water heater, of a thermostat structure therefor including an outer expansible casing forming a thermostat chamber. a thermostat element in the chamber, said element including a casing and a plurality of members inclosed by the casing, one of said members having engaging means at its upper end and secured to its casing at its lower end. and one of said members having engaging means at its lower end and secured to its easing at its upper end.

5. The combination with a water heater, of a thermostat structure therefor including an outer exoansible casing forming a thermostat chamber. a thermostat element in the chamber, said element including a casing and a pluralitv of mem ers inclosed by the casing. one of said members having engaging means at its uooer end and secured to its casing at its lower end. and one ot said members having en aging means at its lower end and secured to its casing at its u per end. said members having a small coetlic ent of expansion and their casing a high coeilicient of expansion.

6. The combination with a water heater, of a thermostat structure therefor including an outer expansible casing forming a. thermostat chamber, a thermostat element in the chamber, said element including three members, one of which has a different 00- efiicient of expansion than the other two members, said last mentioned members being connected at their opposite ends with the first mentioned member.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. ADOLF BELER.

Witnesses:

J. M. GEOGHEGAN, W. G. DOOLITTLE. 

